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Friday, April 28, 2017

Training for and running a race is not an easy task. By the time a race is complete, runners have lots of time on the road/treadmill/etc under their belt, they've logged tons of miles, and they have sore muscles and maybe even a blister or two to show for their hard work.

Once a race is complete however, that's when the pampering can begin! I mean, what better way to reward yourself for all your hard work than with a few indulgences?

#1 Eat a good meal and enjoy a snack or two

One of my favorite things to do after running an event at Walt Disney World is to eat dinner at Ohana. We've kept this tradition alive for years now and I suspect we will do the same after Dopey in January!

Mickey waffles and Starbucks for the win!

#2 Indulge in a post-race massage

After completing Goofy's Challenge in 2013, my friend Melissa and I headed over to Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Zahanati Spa for a 50 minute Swedish massage.

There are several resorts located throughout Walt Disney World that include a spa and fitness center...I highly recommend checking them out!

#3 Hang out at the pool

What better way to relax after a tough race than hanging out at the pool? Just remember to wear sunscreen! :)

#4 Go on a cruise!

We've done this twice so far and I HIGHLY recommend it! Running a race followed by a cruise is a great way to relax and get a little chill time in before the next training cycle kicks up!

You might even want to run another race while on said cruise...aka, the Castaway Cay 5K! :)

#5 Buy yourself a gift!

This one is kind of self-explanatory! After each major race, I always buy myself a small item to commemorate my accomplishment. An ornament, an Alex & Ani bracelet, or a Pandora charm have been my go-to here lately.

What's your favorite way to pamper yourself after a race or big accomplishment?

Today's Friday Five was actually a freebie topic, but I decided to go with last week's topic of "Pampering" since I missed out!

Thursday, April 27, 2017

About a month before Brayden's 1st birthday, I brought him in to my photographer's studio for his cake smash session. I didn't really know what to expect besides the fact that I usually see pictures of babies who have cake literally smashed all over their faces and themselves.

I found an adorable outfit on Etsy that was similar to the one he wore for his newborn and 6 month photos and I was so excited for him to wear it! The outfit included a yellow bow tie, black suspenders, and red bottoms (like Mickey shorts) compete with white buttons. I also went ahead and ordered a red party hat, but it never fit him...and I wanted him to use the Mickey ears we got at the Harmony Barber Shop during his first haircut instead, anyway.

My friend Mackenzie also graciously agreed to make his smash cake and she did an amazing job!

After taking a few "clean" pictures, we got right down to business!

I had to show him that it was OK to touch the cake and eat it!

He liked the cake and got relatively messy before deciding it was time to stop (aka, he started getting fussy). Brayden does not like his hands to get dirty! I think it will be funny to see how/if this changes as he ages!

Now that's one way to smash a cake...just stick your whole leg in it!

As you can see, he didn't make TOO much of a mess, but still got messy enough that he needed a little bath after it was all said and done!

So how did the photos turn out?

I can honestly say that I LOVE them and have several that I really like! (The above is my favorite of the entire session!)

Also, we took a few in a non-cake smashing type outfit...

Overall, we had a great time with lots of laughter and several awesome shots! I figured once Brayden knew about cake and how to eat it, he would dig right in at his birthday party, but he did not at all!

How did your baby do with the cake at their birthday party/cake smash session?

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Each trip (along with visiting old favorites) we always try to pick a new (to us) restaurant that we've never experienced before. While there in February for the Princess Half Marathon, we decided to give the Skipper Canteen at Disney's Magic Kingdom a try.

While I won't give the food gushing reviews, I loved the themeing and the atmosphere of the restaurant! Would I eat there again? Probably not as it didn't top our list of favorites, but it was fun to experience at least once!

In the end, we opted not to order a dessert as we really wanted to move over to EPCOT for a cronut (hello)! My mom and dad did receive a cute little Happy Anniversary dessert as they were celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary while on this trip!

As I mentioned earlier, we liked the atmosphere, wait staff, and themeing of the Skipper Canteen, but we didn't care so much for the food. I get what they were trying to create with the menu, but it didn't really cater to our individual tastes. It was fun to try at least once, though!

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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

For the past five years, the hospital I work for has hosted an annual Dragon Boat Race to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. Since I've never participated in these races in the past and open spots were available on our hospital team boat, I decided to jump right in!

After missing the weekday practice due to rain and not really knowing any of my teammates except one, I'll admit that I (right at first) regretted my decision to sign up for the race. I'm not one to jump right in to uncomfortable situations, especially when I have no clue what I'm doing. However, once our team was assembled that morning and the logistics were figured out, I felt much more comfortable!

My morning began bright and early with a six mile run around the downtown area with my friend Heather!

It was a super humid morning which served as a reminder that summer time is just around the corner. We timed the run just right because we finished about 10 minutes before I needed to meet up with my dragon boat team. Thankfully, I didn't even have to move my vehicle as our run took place at the same location as the boat race!

I was honestly surprised at the size of the event as it encompassed an entire section of our downtown/lake area and was literally an all day affair.

The team I joined was called the Life Savers, composed of EMT, cardiology, and oncology personnel. Funny pun on words, huh? :)

This was my first time to actually see the dragon boats in person and I was honestly surprised at their size!

Each boat fit 22 people - two rowers per seat, one drummer, and one person to steer.

I was really nervous as the unknown always gets me. Also, our water isn't the cleanest (aka, it looks like mud), so I was worried we would flip over in that mess...ewwww. Gross.

Off we go!

Our first race was terrible, I'm not going to lie. We totally lost this race as we weren't in sync and couldn't get a rhythm down. This is where a practice would have come in handy.... oh well.

I even had a few cheerleaders out to cheer me on! :)

Our hospital picnic also coincided with the event, so we had yummy food to eat!

Our second race took place right after lunch. We were only up against one team this time (our local news station) and we won this one! Yay!

Funny side note...their team name was the "Technical Difficulties"...

Boat #1 for the win!

Our third and final race was another bust as we also lost that one but oh well - we still had fun and I really enjoyed the day.

Seriously, though. Rowing is no joke! My arms and upper body hurt so much by the time the day was over. I'm really surprised I wasn't sore the next day.

Team Life Savers!

See how our drummer was dressed? That's another fun part of this event - the drummers had the chance to dress in fun costumes and were entered into a contest. I think my favorite drummer costume was the one who was dressed like a shark!

A local industry team ended up winning the entire competition. These guys are hard core and have won the entire event the past five years. They even have their own boat, tryouts, and practice sessions. I knew we were in trouble when I turned around to see them all stretching and warming up in synchronized motions behind us! Oy.

In all, it was a really fun day and I'm glad I can say I participated in the event! Will I do it again in the future? Maybe! We will just have to see! :)

Have you ever gone out of your comfort zone to participate in an event? Did you end up liking it in the end?

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Hi! Welcome to Just Me & My Running Shoes! My name is Karen, I am a 30 year old runner, Disney lover, & Oncology Nurse. I am passionate about volunteering, fitness, traveling, and living an overall healthy lifestyle. Want to contact me? I can be reached at:kren2700@gmail.com.Have a fabulous day and thanks for stopping by!